System of musical notation



Feb.v 3, 1942. D. A. MAFFl-:l 2,271,772

SYSTEM OF MUSICAL NOTATION Filed July ll, 1941 161 12, 16, 10, 14., 15J6, ZZ; ,J3 z3 1917; z5 'e' lf2 lbllllllmllllll Illlllllllbllllllllllllllll lllllllulnllmlml llllllllmlnu.nun-ml l Illllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll I lmlll INVENTOR DOM//v/CK A, MAfFf/ MAL(ATTORNEY Paten'ted Feb. 3, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 9 Claims.

This invention relates to a system of musical notation, particularly,although not. exclusively, designed to enable a musical composition tobe played or read in any key of the scale. Specifically, it relates to adevice adapted for cooperative use with interchangeable score sheetscontaining musical notations representing musical selections, wherebyupon an operative manipulation of the device or sheet, the notationsappear transposed from the original key on the score sheet to anyselected key.

In the conventional system of musical notation, every musical selectionis Written in one specific key. Should it be desired to play thatselection in another key, it becomes necessary either to rewrite theentire composition in that other key, or to transpose at sight. Printingmusic sheets in many different keys is obviously so costly as to beprohibitive, and transposing at sight requires a rare degree of skilland experience. The average person playing an instrument is hencefrequently left no alternative other thanto play in the original key.Should` that be too difficult or not feasible, the music mustre-w mainunplayed. It is primarily within the contempla-tion of this inventionkto enable a musical composition to be readily transposed into any keywhatsoever, using only the original score sheet or sheet of musicalnotation, thereby eliminating all the aforesaiddefects and shortcomingsinherent in the presently used conventionalsystem of musical notations.

Time intervals in the conventional form of musical notation areindicated by bars or measures, the dimensional distances between thedividing lines of the bars being generally unequal inasmuch as they aredependent only upon the number of notes contained therein. In otherwords, two. successive bars each representing four beats may be one andtwo inches in length, respectively, where the four beats arerepresented., for example, by half notes in one case and by sixteenthnotes in the other. It is hence often confusing, particularly for thebeginner, to comprehend the rhythmic aspect of a sheet of music withoutmaking a careful study thereof. It is therefore another object of myinvention to provide a system of musical notations wherein the timeelement, as determined by equal beats, is clearly set forth in equallydivided intervals for measures of the same number of beats, therebyfacilitating the reading of the score for musical interpretation. r

Other objects,A features and advantages wil appear from the drawing andthe description hereinafter given.

Referring to the drawing,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary front View of my invention with a part of thekeyboard sheet broken away to show the score therebehind.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary section of Figure 1 taken' along line 3 3, thekeyboard sheet being shown by dot-dash lines in an upper position.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary View of the score sheet.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view of the keyboard sheet assembly.

In the drawing, a folder IiiI, constituting a part of my invention inthe preferred form, containsthe covers I I and I2 bound together by theflexible middle portion I3. The upper portion of each of said coverscontains a horizontally transposed rail I4 and I5, respectively; andslidably mounted upon said rails are the shoes I6 and I7. These shoespreferably embrace the rails only partially, so as to clear therail-supporting brackets I8 and I9 attached to the covers II and I2,respectively, when the shoes are slidably manipulated. Immovably affixedto the saidl shoes are the preferably transparent keyboard sheets orwindows 20 and 2 I, the arrangement beingr such that the sheets can beswung up to the unoperative dot-dash position shown in Figure 3 fromtheir normal operative position in overlying relation to the covers IIand I2. The said keyboard sheets 20 and 2| can also be slidablymanipulated laterally with respect to said covers IfI and I2, thepreferred design being such that the width of each of said sheets 20 and2l is less than that of covers II and I2. It is preferred that the shoesI6 and I7 be Wider than the gap between the adjacent terminals 22 and 23of the rails I4 and I5, so that when the folder I0 is fully opened, eachof the shoes can be slidably moved from its original position on itsrail across the gap to the other rail.

The said keyboard sheets 20 and 2| contain an arrangement of darkandlight stripes 24 and 25, respectively, arranged to correspond withthe keyboard of a piano, the light stripes corresponding to the whitekeys and the dark stripes to the black keys. The stripes however aretransparentso as to enable printed or Written subject matter behindsheets 20 or 2I to be visible.

A music score sheet 26 is employed in my invention coactively with thesaid keyboard sheets 20 and 2|, in a manner to be hereinafter described.The said score sheet 26 contains a plurality of vertical dark and lightstripes 21 and 28 corresponding precisely to the stripes on the keyboardsheets and 2|. According to the preferred arrangement and for bestoperative results, the dark stripes 21 on the score sheet are of thesame color intensity and hue as the light stripes 25 on the keyboardsheets, and the light stripes 28 are preferably, although notnecessarily, white. For reasons which will hereinafter more clearlyappear, the relationship of colors of the stripes on the keyboard sheets20 and 2| and the score sheet 26 should be such that when the scoresheet 26 is placed behind either of the transparent keyboard sheets withthe dark stripes 21 of the score sheet in registry with the lightstripes 25 of the keyboard sheets, the stripes on the score sheet willbecome neutralized and completely obliterated from view; and when thedark stripes 21 of the score sheet are in registry with the dark stripes24 of the keyboard sheets, the stripes on the score sheet will likewisenot be discernible.

The score sheet 26 further contains a plurality of horizontal lines 29and 30 separated from each other by equidistant spaces. Each of theselines represents one beat, lines 29, indicated as heavy lines,representing the beginnings of a new measure, and light lines 30representing intermediate beats. In the chart illustrated, the score isobviously in two quarter time inasmuch as there are only two spacesbetween successive lines 29. It is, of course, understood that scoreshaving more beats to the measure than here indicated can be representedin like manner, by increasing the number of intermediate lines 30between the measure or bar lines 29.

The musical notations or notes may take any predetermined design orform, such as the large black discs 3| representing right-hand melodynotes, the small black discs 32 representing righthand harmony notes,the small white circles 33 representing left-hand harmony notes, andsimilar large white circles (not shown) that may represent left-handmelody notes. These notes are placed on the vertical stripes 21 and 28to correspond with the tone intervals of the particular melody, and onthe horizontal lines 29 and 3U to correspond with the time. In otherwords, every note or musical marking can be graphically located at adefinite spot on the score sheet 26 with reference to two coordinatesystems, one representing time intervals and the other representing toneintervals.

The score sheet shown in Figure 4 indicates the above-described systemof musical notations as applied to a phrase from Twinkle Twinkle LittleStar. The melody notes 3| are played successively by following theirpositions from the uppermost beat lines downwardly towards the bottom ofthe sheet. The dotted line 34 may if desired be employed to assist infollowing out the melody. The words may also appear on the score sheetadjacent the corresponding notes. It will be observed that certain ofthe beat lines 29 and 30 contain along their lengths more than one note,such as a right-hand harmony note 32 or a left-hand harmony note 33.This merely indicates that at the beat indicated by such a beat line,all the notes appearing thereon must be simultaneously played. It ispreferred that notes having the same musical function, such as asuccession of harmony notes, be connected by lines such as 35. Where anote is to be held over a span of more than one beat that may beindicated by a line 36 extending downwardly from said note for therequired number of beats. It is preferred, although not necessary, thatthis line be divided into parallel sections, one section i'or each beat,as indicated by the line extending down from note 31, thereby moreclearly indicating the duration of such sustained note.

The score sheet 26 is arranged in a definite key, and it can beemployed, if desired, as a separate unit without the use of any otherportion o1' my device. In this manner the advantages of the system ofnotations which I employ can be readily utilized for that one particularkey. Should it be desired to play the musical score of said sheet on thepiano, fingering notations, as indicated in Figure 4, may be employed ina conventional manner. However, the color of these fingering notationsshould be the same as the color of the light stripes 25 of the keyboardsheets 20 and 2 In this manner, when the score sheet 26 is placed behindthe said transparent keyboard sheets for transportation purposes, thefingering will be entirely obliterated from view, which is highlydesirable inasmuch as the iingering is employable only with the originalkey.

Should it be desired to play the music on the score sheet in anytransposed key whatsoever, all that need be done is to place said scol'esheet and keyboard sheet in adjacent facing relation. This is done inthe form of my invention illustrated, by placing the score sheet againstthe folder or backrest |2 behind the keyboard sheets 20 and 2|. It willbe observed that the score sheet contains a marking 38 thereon. Whenthis marking is placed in registry with a corresponding marking 38a oneach of the sheets 20 and 2|, the music will still appear in the samekey as originally set forth on the score sheet. In other words, thenotation 38 bears the same relation to the vertical stripes on sheet 26as each of the other notations 38a bears to the stripes on the keyboardsheets. By shifting the keyboard sheets 20 and 2| on rails |4 and I5,respectively, so that the marking 38a is removed from marking 38 theprecise number of intervals necessary to effect the desiredtransposition, the musical notations 3|, 32 and 33 will noW be seenthrough sheets 2U and 2| in new positions with respect to stripes 24 and25. Whereas the original key, for example, of score sheet 26 is in thekey of F, the transposed key as seen through the keyboard sheets 20 (seeFigure l) is D flat. All the stripes on score sheet 26 are completelyneutralized and rendered invisible by the coloring of stripes 24 and 25so that only the stripes 24 and 25 on the keyboard sheets 20 and 2| arevisible to the eye. The notes 3|.

32 and 33, however, are visible through the transparent sheets 20 and 2|and only with respect to the said stripes 24 and 25.

It is thus apparent that merely by shifting the transparent Windows orkeyboard sheets 20 and 2| with respect to the score sheet 26, any kindof transposition may be immediately effected. It is obviously just aseasy to read the musical notations on score sheet 26 seen through thekeyboard sheets as on the naked score sheet, regardless of the key inwhich it is written, particularly inasmuch as there are no Sharps oriiats to contend with.

Although the vertical stripes 21 and 28 are of considerable utility inemploying the score sheet 26 as an independent unit, it is to beunderstood that these stripes can be eliminated if it is de-` sired touse the score sheet only in conjunction with the keyboard sheet. It isalso understood that the notes 3l, 32 and 33 can be of any shape orconfiguration, and may also be lpunch marks or other markings eithermechanically or manually produced.

This vdevice is most conveniently used with two keyboard sheetsv 20 and2 I each overlying a -page of the score sheets k26. It is also'possible`t0 use this device, however, with only one of said keyboard sheets,inasmuch as each of these sheets can-be slidably moved from one rail tothe other. -Inl this manner, after one page of the score sheet 26 hasbeen read or played through, one of the keyboard sheets, such as sheet20, can then be shifted to the other page and' the yprocess re- Deated.

It is understood that in order to effect a transposition,- there must bea relative movement `between the keyboard and score sheets, thisinvention contemplating the movement of either of these sheets withrespect to the other. It is also within the contemplation of thisinvention that for transposition purposes, the keyboard and score sheetsbe placed in adjacent facing relation, either of the sheets overlyingthe other; and obviously, when the score sheet overlies the keyboardsheet, the score sheet is transparent.

It is of course understood that the embodiment above described and shownin the drawing is merely illustrative of my invention, and that numerouschanges and modifications may be made therein within the scope of theappended claims without departing from the spirit of this invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a system of musical notation, a score sheet and a keyboard sheetin adjacent facing relation, one of said sheets being transparent andsuperposed upon the other, said score sheet containing musical notationsrepresenting a selected musical composition, said notations beingarranged according to a two coordinate system one representing timeintervals and the other tone intervals, the said keyboard sheetcontaining thereon a plurality of piano keyboard stripes spaced tocorrespond with the tone intervals on the score sheet, at least one ofsaid sheets being movable with respect to the other whereby the positionof said musical notations with respect to the stripes on the keyboardsheet may be altered to effect a transposition of the said compositioninto any selected key.

2. In a system of musical notation, a score sheet and a keyboard sheetin adjacent facing relation, one of said sheets being transparent andsuperposed upon the other, said score sheet containing musical notationsrepresenting a selected musical composition, said notations beingarranged according to a two coordinate system comprising verticalcoordinates representing time intervals and horizontals coordinatesrepresenting tone intervals, the said keyboard sheet containing thereona plurality of vertical piano keyboard stripes spaced to correspond withthe tone intervals on the score sheet, at' least one of said sheetsbeing movable laterally with respect to the other whereby the positionof said musical notations with respect to the stripes on the keyboardsheet may be altered to effect a transposition of the said compositioninto any selected key.

3. In a system of musical notation, a score sheet and a transparentkeyboard sheet superimposed thereon, said score sheet containing musicalnotations representing a selected musical composition, said notationsbeing arranged according to a two coordinate system one representingtimenter-vals and the other tone 4intervals, the said keyboard sheetcontaining thereon a plurality of piano keyboard stripes spaced 'tocorrespond with the tone intervals on the score sheet, the keyboardsheet being movable with respect to the score sheet whereby the positionof said musical notations with respect to the stripes on the keyboardsheet may be altered to effect a transposition of the said compositioninto any selected key.

4.`In a system of musical notation, a score sheet anda keyboard sheet insuperposed relation, the superposed sheet being transparent, said scoresheet containing thereon a plurality of spaced parallel lines toindicate time intervals and ymusical notations representing a selectedmusical composition, said notations being arranged on said lines andvspaced to correspond withthe time and-tone intervals of saidcomposition, the said keyboard sheet containing thereon a plurality ofpiano keyboard stripes spaced chromatically to correspond with thechromatic tone intervals on the score sheet, at least one of said sheetsbeing movable with respect to the other whereby the position of saidmusical notations with respect to the stripes on the keyboard sheetmaybe altered to effect Va transposition of the said composition intoany selected key.

5. In a system of musical notation, a score sheet and a keyboard sheetin superposed relation, the superposed sheet being transparent, saidscore sheet containing thereon a plurality of spaced parallel lines toindicate time intervals, a plurality of stripes intersecting said linesand arranged to correspond with a piano keyboard, and musical notationson said lines and stripes in accordance with the time and tone intervalsof a selected musical composition, the said keyboard sheet containingthereon a plurality of stripes corresponding in Width and direction withthe stripes on the score sheet, at least one of said sheets beingmovable with respect to the other whereby the stripes on both of saidsheets may be brought into registry and the said notations on the scoresheet may be viewed with respect to the stripes on the keyboard sheet.

6. In a system of musical notation, a score sheet and a keyboard sheetin superposed relation, the superposed sheet being transparent, saidscore sheet containing thereon a plurality of dark and light stripescorresponding to a piano keyboard and musical notations representing aselected musical composition, said notations being arranged on saidstripes and spaced to correspond with the time and tone interval of saidcomposition, the said keyboard sheet containing thereon a plurality ofdark and light stripes corresponding in width and direction with thestripes on the score sheet, the dark stripes on the score sheet beingsubstantially the same color and hue as the light stripes on thekeyboard sheet, whereby when the two sheets are in superposed relationthe stripes on the score sheet will not be discernible, at least one ofsaid sheets being movable with respect to the other whereby the positionof said musicalv notations with respect to the stripes on the keyboardsheet may be altered to effect a transposition of the said compositioninto any selected key.

7. In a system of musical notation, a score sheet and a transparentkeyboard sheet superimposed thereon, said score sheet containing thereona plurality of spaced horizontal lines to indicate time intervals, aplurality of substantially vertical dark and light stripes correspondingto a piano keyboard, and musical notations on said lines and stripes inaccordance with the time and tone intervals of a selected musicalcomposition, the said keyboard sheet containing thereon a plurality ofdark and light stripes corresponding in width and direction with thestripes on the score sheet, the dark stripes on the score sheet beingsubstantially the same color and hue as the light stripes on thekeyboard sheet, whereby when the two sheets are in superposed relationthe stripes on the score sheet will not be discernible, the keyboardsheet being movable laterally with respect to the score sheet wherebythe position of said musical notations with respect to the stripes onthe keyboard sheet may be altered to effect a transposition of the saidcomposition into any selected key.

8. In a system of musical notation, a score sheet, a transparentkeyboard sheet disposed thereover, and supporting means slidablysupporting said keyboard sheet, said score sheet containing musicalnotations representing a selected musical composition, said notationsbe* ing arranged according to a two coordinate system one representingtime intervals and the other tone intervals, the said keyboard sheetcontaining thereon a plurality of piano keyboard stripes spaced tocorrespond with the tone intervals ori the score sheet, the keyboardsheet being slidably movable along said supporting means whereby theposition of said musical notations with respect to the stripes on thekeyboard sheet may be altered to effect a transposition of the saidcomposition into any selected key.

9. In a system of musical notation, a score sheet, a backrest forsupporting said sheet, a. transparent keyboard sheet disposed over saidscore sheet, a rail associated with said backrest, and means slidablyconnecting said keyboard sheet and said rail, said score sheetcontaining musical notations representing a selected musicalcomposition, said notations being arranged according to a two coordinatesystem one representing time intervals and the other tone intervals, thesaid keyboard sheet containing thereon a plurality of piano keyboardstripes spaced to correspond with the tone intervals on the score sheet,the keyboard sheet being slidably movable along said rail whereby theposition of said musical notations with respect to the stripes on thekeyboard sheet may be altered to eiect a transposition of the saidcomposition into any selected key.

DOMIN'ICK A. MAFFEI.

